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Residents press board over FY25 legal fees after records show town money used
Summary
Residents challenged the board over $102,236.26 in FY2024 legal fees — $75,072.89 of which was paid from municipal funds — pressing for records and asking who authorized transfers; the chair apologized for not voting the expense in open session and said litigation limits on answering some questions.
A contentious public-comment period at the May 28 Woodstock Select Board meeting focused on municipal legal fees and the use of town funds to cover expenses related to a personnel matter.
The chair read a prepared statement saying the municipality spent $102,236.26 in legal fees on a single personnel issue during FY2024 and that $75,072.89 of that sum "was paid from municipal funds rather than solely from village funds." The chair added that, in hindsight, "the decision should have been voted upon in an open meeting" and apologized for the oversight while noting that the underlying personnel matter remains in court and limits what the board can discuss publicly.
Multiple speakers in the audience disputed parts of the chair's explanation. A public commenter who identified himself earlier challenged the board's past statements and said he had obtained financial documents by public-records request that contradict prior board remarks. Another resident asked why $45,000 was transferred on the last day of the fiscal year and requested journal entries and video of the meeting where the transfers were discussed.
The board said it would take notes of the questions and attempt to respond at a future meeting or by email where permitted; staff also said they will include journal entries in warrant reviews going forward. One board member said future transfers would likely be handled by a formal vote when appropriate.
